Featherweight champion Conor McGregor has opened as the slight favorite in an expected UFC 200 main event rematch with Nate Diaz.
Despite suffering a shocking loss in his first fight with Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 196 earlier this month, UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor has opened as a slight favorite in his expected rematch with the Stockton-native at UFC 200 this July.
If the fight takes place at 155-pounds in Las Vegas before Dec. 31, 2016, McGregor is a -170 favorite (bet $170 to win $100) and Diaz is a +140 (bet $100 to win $140) underdog. (Odds via MMAOddsBreaker.com)
If the fight takes place at 170-pounds in Las Vegas before Dec. 31, 2016, McGregor is a -155 favorite (bet $155 to win $100) and Diaz is a +125 (bet $100 to win $125) underdog. (Odds via MMAOddsBreaker.com)
“With a rumored Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz rematch in the works for UFC 200, the odds are going to be drastically different this time around,” MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas told MMAOddsBreaker.com. “Diaz took McGregor’s best shots in their UFC 196 main event, weathering the early storm before hurting McGregor and finishing him via submission in the second. Diaz took the original fight on 11 days’ notice while McGregor was originally planning to compete 15 pounds lighter for the UFC lightweight title. With a full training came to prepare, both fighters will be more familiar with each other now and we can expect a more disciplined human chess match. Diaz’s confidence will be higher now, but McGregor also knows he was doing serious damage in the first round before slowing down. All that aside, McGregor is still the most popular male fighter on the roster and he should have plenty of support from the betting public.”
Prior to his loss to Diaz, McGregor (19-3) captured UFC gold in the 145-pound division with a record-breaking 13-second knockout over longtime champ Jose Aldo this past December. Prior to that, he finished top contender Chad Mendes to win the interim strap.
Diaz (19-10) returned to action prior to his submission over the Irishman this past December against Michael Johnson, and picked up a decision upset. Before that, he last stepped into the Octagon in December 2014 when he was dominated by current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.
Although nothing is official, Diaz and McGregor are expected to square off for the second time at UFC 200 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 9.